Steppenwolf Theatre Company to present Ms. Blakk for President 2019-03-12

CHICAGO ( March 12, 2019 )  Steppenwolf Theatre Company announced today the full casting for the world premiere of MS. BLAKK FOR PRESIDENT, co-written by ensemble members Tina Landau ( SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical ) and Tarell Alvin McCraney( Moonlight, Academy Award ). Conceived by Tina Landau, she also directs this true and little-known Chicago story that will star Tarell Alvin McCraney as Ms. Joan Jett Blakk. Joining McCraney in the cast are Patrick Andrews, Molly Brennan, Daniel Kyri, Jon Hudson Odom and Sawyer Smith.

Previews begin May 23, 2019 ( opening is June 3 at 7pm ) and the production runs through July 14, 2019 in the Upstairs Theatre, 1650 N Halsted St. Press Performances are Monday, June 3 at 7pm and Wednesday, June 5 at 7:30pm. Single tickets ( $20-$94 ) go on sale to the public Friday, March 15 through Audience Services at 312-335-1650 or steppenwolf.org . Member pre-sale begins today at 11am.

Meet Ms. Joan Jett Blakk as she sets off on her journey to run for President of the United States. Inspired by the true story of America's first black drag queen presidential candidate, Joan's story begins in Chicago; it's 1992 and, with the AIDS crisis at its height, Joan and the newly formed Queer Nation Chicago have big goals in mind. Joan sets off on an exhilarating and dangerous journey to drag queer politics out of the closet and into a future where ALL are visible and ALL have a place at the table. Part campaign rally, part nightclub performance, part confessional, and all PARTY!, MS. BLAKK FOR PRESIDENT takes us into the heart and mind of one of Chicago's most radical and influential citizens.

Molly Brennan is glad to be back at Steppenwolf. Recent Chicago credits include A Christmas Carol, Animal Crackers ( Goodman Theatre ); 500 Clown and the Elephant Deal, 500 Clown Macbeth, 500 Clown Frankenstein, Theatrical Essays ( Steppenwolf ); Lookingglass Alice, Thadeus and Slocum, Peter Pan, A Play ( Lookingglass ); Picnic ( American Theatre Company ); PopWaits ( Neofuturists ); Guide to the Opera ( Second City at Lyric Opera ) and Pinocchio ( House Theatre of Chicago ). Film credits: Signature Move, Low Key, Restoration. TV Credits: The Right Swipe. This summer she will return to co-host the Fly Honey Show Ten Year Anniversary. Molly is represented by Paonessa Talent.

Daniel Kyri is ecstatic to return to Steppenwolf where he was last seen in Monster. Other Chicago credits include: Hamlet ( The Gift Theatre ); the world premiere of Charles Smith's Objects in the Mirror ( Goodman Theatre ); Tug of War pt. I & II ( Chicago Shakespeare Theater ); and Moby Dick ( Lookingglass Theatre ). TV credits: Chicago Med, the T, and Chicago Fire. Film credits: Perfect Day, Unexpected, Henry Gamble's Birthday Party and the upcoming Killing Eleanor.

Jon Hudson Odom's Chicago credits include On Clover Road ( American Blues Theatre ); Witch ( Writers Theatre ); A Christmas Carol ( Goodman Theatre ). Recent regional credits include: An Octoroon, Botticelli in the Fire ( Woolly Mammoth Theatre ); Angels in America parts 1 & 2 and Father Comes Home From the Wars parts 1, 2, & 3 ( Round House Theatre ); The Magic Play ( Actors Theatre of Louisville ). TV/Film Credits: Chicago PDand A Savage Nature. Jon is a three time nominee and a recipient of the Helen Hayes Awards. He is a company member at Woolly Mammoth, an Artistic Associate at Olney Theatre Center, and represented by Paonessa Talent.

Tarell Alvin McCraney is an acclaimed playwright and screenwriter. His script In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue is the basis for the Oscar-winning film Moonlight directed by Barry Jenkins, for which McCraney and Jenkins won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. He also wrote the film High Flying Bird which recently premiered on Netflix directed by Steven Soderbergh. McCraney's plays include The Brother/Sister Plays trilogy, Head of Passes, Wig Out! and Choir Boy, which is currently running on Broadway. McCraney is the recipient of a MacArthur "Genius" Grant, the Whiting Award, Steinberg Playwright Award, the Evening Standard Award, the New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award, the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, the Windham Campbell Award, and a Doris Duke Artist Award. He is currently Chair of Playwriting at Yale School of Drama; an ensemble member at Steppenwolf Theatre Chicago; and a member of Teo Castellanos/D-Projects. McCraney is currently working on an original scripted TV series, David Makes Man, for Oprah Winfrey's OWN Network, produced by Michael B. Jordan and Page Fright Productions.

Tina Landau an acclaimed writer, director and teacher, has been a Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble member since 1997. Her work at the theater includes The Doppelganger ( an international farce ), Head of Passes, The Brother/Sister Plays, The Wheel, The Tempest, Time of Your Life, The Cherry Orchard, The Diary of Anne Frank, Berlin Circle and her own play Space. On Broadway, Tina conceived and directed SpongeBob Squarepants  The Musical, as well as productions of Superior Donuts and Bells Are Ringing. Other work in NYC includes Old Hats( Signature Theatre ); A Civil War Christmas ( New York Theatre Workshop ); WIG OUT!( Vineyard Theatre ); and the musical Floyd Collins ( Playwrights Horizons ) which she co-wrote. Tina teaches regularly at schools such as Yale and Columbia University and is the co-author, with Anne Bogart, of The Viewpoints Book.

Group Tickets: All groups of 10 or more receive a discounted rate for any performance.

Black Card Memberships are for audiences interested in extreme flexibility. Cards include six tickets for use any time, are valid for one year with the option to add additional tickets as needed. Perks include easy and free exchanges, access to seats before the general public, savings on single ticket prices and bar and restaurant discounts.

Steppenwolf is located at 1650 N Halsted St near all forms of public transportation, bike racks and Divvy bike stands. The parking facility ( $13 or $15, cash or card ) is located just south of our theater at 1624 N Halsted. Valet parking service ( $15 cash ) is available directly in front of the main entrance starting at 5pm on weeknights, 1pm on weekends and at 12noon before Wednesday matinees. Limited street and lot parking are also available. For last minute questions and concerns, patrons can call the Steppenwolf Parking Hotline at 312.335.1774.

Accessibility

Committed to making the Steppenwolf experience accessible to everyone, performances featuring American Sign Language Interpretation, Open Captioning and Audio Description are offered during the run of each play. Assistive listening devices and large-print programs are available for every performance and the Downstairs and 1700 Theatres are each equipped with an induction hearing loop. All theaters feature wheelchair accessible seating and restrooms, and Front Bar features a push-button entrance, all-gender restrooms and accessible counter and table spaces.

Sponsor Information

United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline of Steppenwolf.

Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks

Connected to the main lobby is Steppenwolf's own Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks, offering a warm, creative space to grab a drink, have a bite, or meet up with friends and collaborators, day or night. Open Tuesdays  Sundays from 8am to midnight, Front Bar serves artisanal coffee and espresso is provided by La Colombe and food prepared by Goddess and Grocer. The menu focuses on fresh, accessible fare, featuring grab-and-go salads and sandwiches for lunch and adding shareable small plates and desserts for evening and post show service. www.front bar.com .

Year of Chicago Theatre

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is proud to be part of the 2019 Year of Chicago Theatre, presented by the City of Chicago and the League of Chicago Theatres. To truly fall in love with Chicago, you must go to our theatres. This is where the city bares its fearless soul. Home to a community of creators, risk-takers, and big hearts, Chicago theatre is a hotbed for exciting new work and hundreds of world premieres every year. From Broadway musicals to storefront plays and improv, there's always a seat waiting for you at one of our 200+ theatres. Book your next show today at ChicagoPlays.com .

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation's premier ensemble theater. Formed by a collective of actors in 1976, the ensemble members represents a remarkable cross-section of actors, directors and playwrights. Thrilling and powerful productions from Balm in Gilead and August: Osage County to Pass Over and Downstateand accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony Awardshave made the theater legendary. Steppenwolf produces hundreds of performances and events annually in its three spaces: the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat 1700 Theatre. Artistic programing includes a seven-play season; a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a multi-genre performances series. Education initiatives include the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf for Young Adults, which engages 15,000 participants annually from Chicago's diverse communities; the esteemed School at Steppenwolf; and Professional Leadership Programs for arts administration training. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Anna D. Shapiro is the Artistic Director and David Schmitz is the Executive Director. Eric Lefkofsky is Chair of Steppenwolf's Board of Trustees. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr .

From a press release

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